title: Laparoscopic liver resection as a safe and efficacious alternative to open resection for colorectal liver metastasis: a meta-analysis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The safety and efficacy of laparoscopic liver resection (LLR) for colorectal liver metastasis (CLM) remain to be established. A meta-analysis was undertaken to compare LLR and open liver resection (OLR) for CLM with respect to surgical and oncologic outcomes.
  
  
  METHODS
  An electronic search was performed to retrieve all relevant articles published in the English language by the end of March 2013. Data were analyzed using Review Manager version 5.0.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 8 nonrandomized controlled studies with 695 subjects were analyzsed. Intra-operative blood loss, the proportion of patients requiring blood transfusion, morbidity and the length of hospital stay were all significantly reduced after LLR. Postoperative recurrence, 5-year overall and disease-free survivals were comparable between two groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  LLR for CLM is safe and efficacious. It improves surgical outcomes and uncompromises oncologic outcomes as compared with OLR.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hepatobiliary & Pancreatovascular Surgery, Oncologic Center of Xiamen, First affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen, China. zhouymsxy@sina.cn.
authors.forename: Yanming
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Yaqing
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.forename: Lupeng
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Hua
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D006498:Hepatectomy / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy; D007902:Length of Stay; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000556:secondary* / Q000601:surgery*; D015233:Models, Statistical; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome